


And from that point on, I didn’t see the counterfeit.

by Anonymous



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, Thor - All Media Types
Genre: Aftermath, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, M/M, No Spoilers, Post- Infinity War
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-25
Updated: 2018-04-25
Packaged: 2019-04-27 23:33:54
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 989
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14436564
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/
Summary: He gave the tesseract for my lifeA character analysis, where IW doesn’t exist.





	And from that point on, I didn’t see the counterfeit.

_He gave them the tesseract for my life._

It should be comictical how after all this, Loki once again cannot be trusted.

After saving Asgard, after Thanos, after all of it, the grievances outweigh his virtues and now Loki remains kneeling in a glass cell under the earth. Solitude. Isolated. The technologies of the chitauri all those years ago created the perfect cell that Loki may wait the rest of his days.

_Loki has no doubt of Thanos’ power. Each burly finger digging into Thor’s skull, pulling, displaying how easily it would be to tear his head off if he so desires. The dark flashes of Thanos’ penetrating stare tells Loki exactly what he wants. The tesseract. Even though it is hidden in a pocket of space, the item burns on him._

_Thor pleads him not to give it, between his pained yells. There’s another way, Loki. Don’t do it, don’t give in._

_“What will it be?”_

_Selflessness was never a virtue of his._

_“You can have it,” Loki said and gives it._

Sometimes Loki wonders where it all went wrong.

_“Oh, Thor,” Loki cries. “You idiot, you absolute idiot. Can’t you see? There’s no stopping Thanos, even till now.”_

_“_ We _have to try,” Thor said. We. Him and Loki and the rest of the Earth. Loki could easily take Thor by the hand, blink them elsewhere, anywhere, from this place, away from it all. Asking for forgiveness is easier than permission. “Loki, we’re needed here.”_

_Loki wants to beg him, let’s just run away and keep running away until we cannot be found any longer. Thor, just forget it all and I’ll stay by your side, forever._

_Thor places a hand on his neck. “Please.”_

_Loki can only have one answer. “Okay.”_

 

There are rarely any visitors. Perhaps that’s the way they wanted it. They couldn’t possibly have him up on the surface, not after all he had caused those many, many years ago. Humans, Loki remembers, can hold a grudge. Though they’re beneath him, he can’t help but laugh. Resilient, they are, he’d give them that.

Yet...

“Loki.”

“Thor,” Loki responded. “So you finally found me?”

There isn’t a response and Loki refuses to turn to face him. But he knows his brother, he can imagine the stricken face he must be pulling, that sentimental buffoon. The silence lays between them, settling with tension. Loki could tell him many things, tell him scathing words to make him hurt, tell him awful things to push him away, tell him anything to finally have his brother be rid of that rotten Loki. Thor can now, with Loki here he can--

“Loki, look at me.”

He’s just like he remembers him. Yet, he’s sadder. Looking upon Loki, there’s only a sadness in his eye. The cage and chain doesn’t help.

He doesn’t want to ask him ( _How are you here? How did you find me? Are you even real?_ ), he doesn’t want to break this little pocket in time. Here was Thor, standing in the prison that makes him too big, too bright, Loki’s eyes could hurt. He can’t bring himself to touch him either. And Thor sighs.

"I would've gone with you," Thor then says. "To the ends of the universe."

He remembers. On that day Thanos had found them, after he had given away the tesseract, Thor was left discarded, bloody, and broken. And Loki ran to him. Ran to him and wiped the blood from his eye, the sweat and grim from his cheeks, and nearly wept. They allowed him just that moment to cradle his head to speak hushed words ( _“You’re okay,” he whispers, voice thick and eyes stinging, “But you have to get up, you have to run away.” He can feel Thor move in his arms, struggling in and out of consciousness. His breath is weak but he’s okay._

_“L-Loki… No, no, not… not without you.”_

_It’s sounds like a broke laugh, a sob threatening in. He holds him closer. “You’d go with me if I asked, wouldn’t you?”_

_Thor’s hand finds his. “To the ends of the universe.”_

_His grip, it’s weak, slipping, and Loki lets his tears fall. “Okay,” He said, his hand pressing against Thor’s temple. “Okay, we’ll go, together.” Then he teleports only Thor away with the last of his magic.)_ before they too, took him.

Loki smiles, it feels empty. “I know you couldn’t.”

( _“We have to try._ ”)

By the look of Thor’s face, he knew it just as well. He always had something Loki did not, and made it up in spades for the both of them, that righteousness to do good.

“Loki…”

He’s always wanted that righteousness, that goodness, the kindness Thor alludes, he’s wanted it all. For as long as he can remember. The shine he produces, a warm glow that Loki had cruelly tries to take. Before he had thought he had wanted to rid it, but now he sees the truth. It’s a quick task crossing to him, takes his face into his hands, and perhaps he’s really awful deep down, to his upmost core, that no matter what he does he’ll always be _Loki of Lies, of Chaos, of Evil_ , but it doesn’t matter really?

It’s Thor who kisses him first.

It’s warm, wonderful, and overwhelming.

It’s _real_.

Hands find his waist and his own slip around his neck, feeling the short hair on against his touch. Thor’s all around him, holding him as if he’ll disappear. Loki’s the one who pulls away first, his breath ragged and face feeling hot. Thor’s eyes dart back to his lips, dark and full of want and love.

It’s so real.

“You’re not here right now, are you.” Thor’s arms around him tighten.

“No.”

Loki’s hand traces from those new short locks to his cheek, his thumb running along the edge of the black patch over his eye. “I wish you were.”

Thor is willed away.

**Author's Note:**

> so uh, infinity war comes out soon.


End file.
